Community leaders call for the return of the army to gang hotspots

The Mitchell’s Plain Community Policing Forum is pleading with the public for information following the past weekend’s spate of gang shootings.

In the most recent incident, three men were shot dead at a shebeen in Rocklands on Sunday night.

Six others were wounded and are receiving treatment in hospital. Western Cape Police spokesperson Andre Traut confirmed the incident:

“At around 19:30 two unknown assailants opened fire at a group of men aged between 29 and 46 at a tavern in Stratus Street in Rocklands, killing three of the men on the scene. The injured victims were admitted to hospital for medical treatment while the suspects fled which initiated a large-scale manhunt in the vicinity and adjacent neighbourhoods,” said Traut.

Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects. Additional resources have since been deployed to the area:

Police at a crime imbizo in Mitchell’s Plain. Image by Lizell Persens

“Additional operational forces have been deployed in the area to curb retaliation or any other form of violence, as gangsterism holding communities at ransom will not be allowed. Any person who can shed light on the matter, or who can assist police with information is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using the mobile application, MySAPS anonymously,” added Traut.

RETALIATION ATTACKS

Just last month, former Americans gang boss, Mogamat Sadeka Madatt was shot and killed in the Kapteinsklip squatter camp, in Tafelsig.

Since then, community leaders have confirmed a notable rise in gang violence, which they say is in retaliation to the former gang kingpin’s murder.

The Mitchells’ Plain CPF’s Norman Jantjies said he is perturbed by the killings because innocent lives are lost in the crossfire of rival gangs.

“We’re very concerned because it affects innocent people. There have been no arrests in those cases, so we are urging the community to share information with the police. We ask that the police fast-track their investigation into these matters,” said Jantjies.

THE RETURN OF THE ARMY

Furthermore, the Cape Flats Safety Forum’s Abie Isaacs wants the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to be redeployed to Cape Town’s crime hotspots namely; Mitchell’s Plain, Nyanga, Langa, Khayelitsha, Philippi, Lavender Hill, Hanover Park, Manenberg, Delft and Bishop Lavis.

“We are calling on the President of the Republic of South Africa to deploy the South African National Defence Force as a force multiplier to assist the South African Police, to stabilize the current situation in all hotspot areas,” concluded Isaacs.